Breaching Asphodel
by Luminesyra
Summary: It has only been months since Willow Bronwyn's transition into a realm of magic and stories, but all too soon she and Jack are caught in the crosshairs again, and the name Terra is forcing her into a whole other world of secrets, magic and immortals out for blood. (SEQUEL TO COLD INSANITY) Rating subject to change later on.
1. Something Amiss

**OH, HEY GUYS, LOOK WHO STARTED WRITING AGAIN.**

**Weeeeell, I thought I had a handle on the plot for this… then I started finding stuff I missed and realized a lot of said plot was built around something of a plot hole, had I had to scrap all of my outlines.**

**BUT, that being said, I finally figured my crap out, and this thing is back!**

**Now, I have to say, updates might take me loner than a week, but typically shouldn't be more than two, but stuff happens and my life just took a one way ticket to hell recently, but I will do my absolute best not to leave you guys hanging for too terribly long, and I'll try to warn you if a chapter takes a while.**

**At any rate, though, here's the first one! Enjoy and please tell me what you think!**

"Again! Higher! C'mon, lass, less defense more offense. Use your flight to your advantage!"

Willow grunted, flipping the bo staff at the Pooka once more, but his block seemed to be no more than brushing away the wooden staff.

Not long after her transition to immortality, Bunnymund had stepped forward and asked Willow if she would like to learn to fight. Willow, thinking back on how defenseless she was as a human, wasted no time in accepting his offer.

The first thing the rabbit did, was fit her with a weapon. Obviously, his boomerangs were more of a custom weapon, but when she attempted to use them, she only succeeded in looking like an idiot. She didn't bother with a sword, and archery wasn't really her forte, either. Throwing knives were never even considered, for obvious reasons, so Bunny finally looked to something simpler.

A bo staff, as it was technically called, but if one was honest, it was a stick. Thinking to how the girl has a remarkable skill for defending herself, he thought it would suit her better than the more offensive weapons.

Well, he was half right.

She wielded the staff with much more ease than the other weapons, but she had done so poorly with them, it was still a wonder she wasn't hitting him or herself.

She was getting better with it now, learning how to use it to block, instead of moving out of the way every time, but it was difficult for her to pull away from the defensive and try to attack herself.

"Ugh!" Willow wheezed as Bunny's foot hit her in the stomach and knocked the wind from her lungs. She fell back and skidded on the soft grass once more.

Bunny's shadow fell over her as she gasped for air, a soft paw extending down to her. She accepted his hand and he pulled her to her feet.

"You did better that time, but ya can't just block me the whole time. You need to balance your defense with your offense. And lass, you can fly! Use that! You can't hit what you can't reach." he told her, waiting patiently as her breathing evened out again.

"I know I know, it's just taking me longer to get used to than I thought." she replied, thick strands of hair glued to her face where they had fallen from her ponytail. "I've just spent so much of my life dodging instead of hitting. Old habits die hard, I guess."

"Those 'old habits' have been fightin' ya the whole way, but you're getting better." Bunny said, glancing at the sheen of sweat that lightly covered her olive skin. "'Bout time we stop for the day, though."

"Really?" Willow said, sounding almost disappointed, but on the inside, she was screaming _Thank god!_. Though, she couldn't help but notice how early he was dismissing her lessons.

"Don't wanna send you back with heat stroke. Frost might decide to cover the whole Warren in snow. Again." he said, mumbling the last bit.

"Again?" Willow questioned.

"Oh, it was back a couple decades after '68. I was tryin' to get even after the blizzard, because I didn't know why it happened until a few years before Pitch." He suddenly looked away. "I, um, mighta dumped some of the glitter water from the river in the little pond in the woods before it froze, and it stuck to 'em whenever he touched it."

Willow just stared at him for a moment, shocked that he would do something so… childish. She broke into one of her rare giggles.

"You put _glitter_ in his pond?" she repeated, still giggling.

Bunny's ears dipped down as he studied the grass, the act of silly childishness bringing heat to his, thankfully fur covered, face. "The kid didn't stay in one place long enough for anythin' else! It was better than painting his staff pink, because that was the only other thing I could think of!" he countered defensively.

She had no answer for him, to consumed in her fit of laughter.

"Aw, pipe down. It was a long time ago, and… who am I kiddin', I got nothin'." he sighed, giving up.

Willow shrugged, scooping up her jacket from where she had discarded it earlier. "Well, I throw rocks at him to get back at him. Same difference."

"Yeah, he told me about that. Said ya dropped a whole storm of 'em on him once." Bunny chuckled.

"Sounds about right." Willow agreed. She glanced at her watch, still preferring the cheap digital one to the shiny new one North had offered her. "I should probably go soon, unless you want Jack coming here."

"Ah ah, nope, get outta here. I barely keep the little nuisance out as it is, I don't need another reason for him to be here." Bunny said quickly, shooing at her.

"Hey now he's not all that bad." she said, her wings bringing her a few feet off the ground.

"Yeah, come back and tell me that when he interferes with _your_ job, Avalanche." Bunny smirked at the nickname.

"For the last time, _it was an accident_." she groaned. She was _never_ going to live that down.

"Mh hmh. Now get on, this place is still nice and warm."

"Whatever you say, Boss." she said with a mocking salute, then turned to one of the tunnels to leave.

Before she started training, she thought the only way in and out of the Warren was though Bunny's tunnels, but after the first couple times she had gone, he showed her how to navigate the permanent ones the eggs used at Easter. Under the condition she didn't tell Jack where they were.

She agreed, if nothing else than to taunt the Spirit with the knowledge, and Jack hated every bit of it. But he eventually left her alone about it, not sure if it was her or Bunny he should be more concerned about.

Little snatches of sunlight from the would above provided just enough light to see in the fragrant, mossy paths, seemingly only a couple of feet below ground, but once she exited the tunnels, she could no longer sense them within the earth, only the nearby openings. She assumed it was some kind of magic, because only immortal beings could actually find and use the permanent openings.

The air around her seemed to drop in temperature faster than possible, like a figurative wall where the warmth stopped and the cold began, and she pushed her arms into her jacket backwards, so the hood was in front of her and her flying wasn't deterred. The tunnel to Burgess had a small raised X next to it, where she had moved the earth so she knew where to go. Otherwise, she would get lost in the Labyrinth of tunnels.

The world rushed up to meet her as she flew away from the tangle of tree roots that concealed the hole, and the crisp winter air filled her lungs.

The snow on the round was nearly gone, as Spring was on its way, but the brisk chill lingered over the small Pennsylvania town.

Sunlight streamed through the thinning could bank in long ribbons, striping her skin with light flashed with honey bronze and she flitted through them. She pulled her hair free from the braided band, letting the wind dance through the knotted waves and relishing the cool buffet of the breeze against her overheated body.

Tiny dots of green had begun to dot the trees a few days ago, and she could now make out tiny leaves beginning to unfurl as nature began its newborn life again. She idly thought she should draw the pond again while the leaves were still small, so she had the transition of winter to spring as well.

Her feet touched the ground lightly at the shore of the small pond, touching the surface with her finger and giving a small smile as the freezing water rippled gently, the smooth lines rolling across the water without disruption.

Jack wasn't here as he normally was, though it wasn't the first time, so she pulled her sketchbook from the hollow tree with a stone nestled up against its trunk. She had no need to carry her bag around anymore, so she kept it in the tree now, hanging from a rough hook she gouged out a few months ago. Two of her sketchbooks, a pencil bag, and her phone. She didn't use the phone anymore, and it wasn't like she could continue to pay for the service, so she just left it in her bag for music.

She also withdrew the ancient slide phone, the screen lighting up as her thumb moved over the keys. After a passing comment she hadn't thought anyone heard, North had asked for her phone, returning in the next day. He told her he replaced the battery with some kind of solar-nuclear battery. She asked what that was, having never heard of such a thing. Apparently it recharged on solar energy, and the battery lasted longer.

Even now, she had no idea what he had said, but she was grateful nonetheless.

The quiet afternoon was filled with the soft notes of the music from the tiny speaker on the back of the device, adding the final touch it needed to make the woods perfect. Willow flipped to a clean page, lightly tapping the rock with her fingers to the beat of the song.

_This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us_

_It's time to make our move, I'm shaking off the rust_

_I've got my heart set on anywhere but here_

_I'm staring down myself, counting up the years_

_Steady hands, just take the wheel_

_And every glance is killing me_

_Time to make one last appeal… for the life I lead_

Willow hummed softly along with the melody, her pencil lightly laying down the lines for the pond and trees, the shapes rough.

New trees had sprouted on the opposite side of the pond, swaying only a few inches tall, but if she was persistent, she would get to draw their progress until they were as tall as their surrounding kin.

Around half an hour later, piano played again, and her hand slowed to a stop.

_Eighty nine cents in the ash tray_

_A half empty bottle of Gatorade, rollin' in the floorboard_

_That dirty Braves cap on the dash_

_Dog tags hangin' from the rear view_

_Old Skoal can and cowboy boots _

_And a Go Army shirt, folded in the back_

_This thing burns gas like crazy, but that's alright_

_People got their ways of coping, oh and I got mine_

Willow's fingers fidgeted with the edge of her paper, the drawing long forgotten. She hadn't listened to this song in years. It always reminded her…

_I leave that radio playin'_

_That same 'ole country station_

_Where ya left it_

_Yeah, man I crank it up_

_And you'd probably punch my arm right now_

_If you saw this tear_

_Rollin' down my face_

_Hey, man I'm tryin' to be tough_

_And momma asked me this mornin'_

_If I'd been by your grave_

_But that flag and stone ain't where I feel you anyways_

Memories flashed through her mind, images of her father, the gold valor medal, the dog tags recovered after the explosion, bloodstained and cracked. Her hands moved to her neck to fidget with her necklace, her fingers worrying the smooth crystal and her mother's wedding band.

The marble cross in the Troop Cemetery.

Tears pricked at her eyes, and she fought to keep them in.

_I've cussed, I've prayed, I've said goodbye_

_Shook my fist and asked God why_

_These days when I'm missing you the most_

One tear managed to squirm free of her willpower, and the song ended. Whatever song played next was lost in the haze the rest of the world has fallen into. She slid from the stone, reaching into the tree and pulling out the gray canvas bag. She dug in it for a moment, before her hands met a rough edge. She pulled it out, the two pieces of metal clinking on the ball chain.

_Timothy Bronwyn_ was stamped into one tag and _2215_ was in the other. There were other things written in, but the grime and missing pieces made it impossible to read.

A sad smile unconsciously slipped onto her face, and her thumb ran over the damaged tags. Little tidbits ran through her mind, how her father had loved country music, how he would teach her to draw, how they would laugh when he attempted to sing and tease how he sounded like a dying cow.

Some days, before she had been chucked head first into a world of living legends, her heart would ache and she missed her father more than anything. More times than she would care to admit, she cried herself to sleep clutching his military jacket, the scent of wood shavings, coffee and his cologne clinging to the thick fabric.

The tags were slipped back into the bag, and she shut the music off. Her sketchbook was flipped closed and put aside, leaving the tranquil silence as it had been before.

Not sure what else to do, Willow stooped over and picked up a handful of the dirt and gravel. She picked through the small stones for a moment, sorting them by color in her palm. There were three a dark reddish color, four light gray ones and six or seven indigo stones.

She was getting better at controlling her powers, learning to manipulate more earth at once, or in more intricate patterns. A different stone bracelet curled around her bicep once more, the swirling patterns changing regularly for practice.

She had also figured out how to change the colors of certain types of rocks. North had ideas of how this was possible, running along the lines of molecular compositions and energy variables.

Or, in simpler words, more things she was at a loss to understand. She had been a good student while still in high school, almost straight A's, save for Trig, which usually held a low B. But all these complex theories and ideas were well out of her comprehension.

But complicated mathematics aside, it was always fun to experiment and see how far she could push the color changing. Usually she couldn't do much more than make the color lighter or darker, more or less vivid. With the exception of white or clear rocks, which she could make pretty much any color without much difficulty.

She discovered this by accident when she found, if she concentrated hard enough, she could actually pull raw diamonds and other gemstones from the earth, though never in large quantities and she usually only had the energy to do it once at a time.

She didn't really bother with the gems much, though, they didn't mean much to her, value or otherwise. She carried exactly one small, white diamond in her pocket for experimenting.

But now, her attention was on the colored gravel. The indigo rocks began to quiver ever so slightly, and their color brightened into more of a light navy. Next, the gray rock shifted to a slightly dusty white. The mahogany colored ones darkened to a near black shade.

Then, all three little groups rippled and seemed to melt in her palm, the blue collection crawling into three ribbons, twining around her arm in a pattern resembling a loose braid. Then, the white slid down to dot the band with tiny, simple snowflakes and the black came to accent the centers with a smaller version of the white flakes.

Satisfied, she flipped her sketchbook back open and started sketching in the individual branches of the trees.

"Not bad."

Willow started at the low voice, a thin line streaking across her paper, and she turned to see a boy with a blue hoodie and a mop of bleach white hair. A hooked wooden staff was grasped in his hand, and light blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Jack…" Willow grumbled, slightly irritated the Winter Spirit managed to get the jump on her.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." he grinned, not very sorry at all.

"And to think I did something nice." she said vaguely, dramatically flicking her hair at him and turning the other way.

"What did you do?" Jack asked, his curiosity peaked. "Show me!"

Willow remained silent, though a grin he couldn't see tugged at her lips.

"Please, Willow? Please? Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplea-" Willow clapped her hand over his mouth, rolling her eyes and grinning at the inner puppy Jack truly was.

"Fine. Hold out your arm and close your eyes." she commanded.

Jack cocked an eyebrow, but did as he was told, his snowy blue eyes vanishing. Willow wrapped her fingers around his wrist, the snowflake bracelet holding its shape as it unfurled from her wrist and coiled around his. It tightened to fit against his skin, and Jack's eyes flicked open when he felt the stone touch his arm.

"Hey, that's cool!" he said, lifting his arm for a closer look.

"Not too girly or anything?" Willow asked, a crooked smile on her face.

"Nah, they're just snowflakes. And last I checked, I'm a Winter Spirit, so it's not like anybody can really say anything about it." he shrugged. A layer of frost spidered over the bracelet, causing it to glint in the sunlight. "…well, maybe now, since anything I wear gets a natural glitter."

Willow laughed at Jack's face as he twisted his arm, half glaring at the sprinkle of rainbow hues dancing along the contours of the stone.

"Well, you can come to grips with your manhood later. " she leaned in close, her face only a few inches from his. Jack was surprised by her behavior, though certainly wasn't complaining, and began to close the gap. That was, until her hand came up and smacked him in the shoulder.

"Tag!"

Jack chuckled, taking off after her as she flew into the sky. Over the past few months, he saw a shift in her demeanor and view of life as a whole. The Willow he had first met was very cynical and closed out the world, pushing everyone away and having a very detached mood in general. Ultimately, she warmed up to him, but the austere cloak remained.

But now that she had become a Creature, she had seemed to shed her melancholy shroud, bearing light into the happier side of her he hadn't seen before. She was still the same cynical, distrusting, and stubborn to all hell introvert, but it didn't dominate her anymore. A certain flavor of calm euphoria that only Willow could have now took its place, and it was clear as day that a burden had been lifted from her.

This new, happier, Willow suited the young Guardian better, if one was honest. Now, she would start snowball fights, games of tag or, her favorite, keep-away with his staff, which she usually won, as he couldn't fly without it.

Tag, however, was another story entirely, especially as she started off in the sky.

The wind immediately changed directions, pushing back the slender girl, but not affecting him at all.

"Jack, that's not fair!" she shouted, dipping into a dive. It always made him nervous when she would dive. She hadn't been flying for long, so he always worried she wouldn't level out in time.

But she did, as always. He really didn't need to worry, he was well aware Willow could handle herself just fine, but he did nonetheless.

Though, he didn't worry long, because he was right behind her again, easily reaching forward and tapping her leg.

"Tag!"

"You are such a cheater! You know you fly faster!" she protested.

"But you're the one who started tag!" he pointed out, taunting her by flying backwards just out of her reach.

Or so he thought.

All of a sudden, she shot forward with a burst of speed, grabbing his ankle and pulling him toward her with the added strength her change had givin her. The only flaw in her plan, she still wasn't quite used to her strength, and she actually wound up yanking so hard they both went tumbling down into the thinning snow below, landing in a tangled heap of laughter.

Willow shoved her knotted hair from her face, the ruffled mess glinting like a penny in the sun.

"Tag." she whispered, her breath clouding in wisps of fog as Jack panted beneath her. His hand slid into her tangled hair with a firm grip, leaving goose bumps over her olive skin in his wake. Her fingers were also wound in his hair, though her touch was a great deal lighter than his. His other hand traced her jaw line, leaving icy blossoms of frost to mark its path.

"I didn't know you could fly so fast." he murmured.

"I can't." she grinned. "I was slowing down the whole time, but you didn't notice, so you slowed down, too. I sped up when you stopped paying attention."

Jack sighed and chuckled, shaking his head as she managed to outwit him again. "One of these days you're going to run out of tricks."

"Then I'll just have to make some new ones." she answered, smirking.

"Mh, well see about that." Jack's head lifted from the snow, meeting Willow's lips in the air. He felt Willow's fingers tighten against the feathery strands of his hair, her other hand resting on his chest.

"So," she said, rolling off of him once they came up for air. "What do you want to do today?"

"I dunno." was Jack's ingenious answer, the shrug of his shoulder furrowing the snow beside him.

Willow rolled her eyes and sighed. "The least you could do is use actual words." she muttered.

Jack grinned triumphantly, knowing she would nitpick his grammar like always. Once he figured out how much of a grammar nazi she really was, he went out of his way to speak as incorrectly as possible.

"But then what would you OCD spazz over?" he asked.

"First of all, "OCD spazz" is not a verb, and second, I have plenty of things. The only person who is allowed to openly butcher the English language, in my world, is Dick Grayson." she said very matter-of-factly.

"Dick Grayson? Isn't that the kid who Butch Wayne took in and is Sparrow or something?" he asked.

Another eye roll. "Yes, Dick Grayson was taken in by _Bruce _Wayne and his hero name was _Robin_ before he became Nightwing." she said, and Jack just looked at her. "What?"

"Do I even want to know how it is you know that?" he finally asked.

She shrugged it off. "It's just from an old cartoon."

Jack didn't ask any more questions, knowing he would end up far more confused than he already was.

All of a sudden, Willow shot upright, then stood very slowly.

"Willow, what are you-"

"Shhh!", she silenced his question.

Her wings fluttered softly, making no sound as her feet carefully lifted from the ground. She stayed low as she flew to the hollow tree opposite the clearing, quietly pulling her sketchbook back from the bag, along with a small box. She returned to her place beside Jack.

"It's a Pompadour." she whispered quietly. "They're an endangered species. It must be migrating." she said, pointing out a small, burgundy feathered bird with sparse white and black markings and white tipped wings.

Her hand moved quickly as she sketched the bird, said bird seeming very unconcerned with them and barely moving at all.

Once she had jotted down the outline, Willow opened the box of colored pencils she now kept in the bag. The beautiful colors of the Pompadour's deep red and magenta feathers were hastily sketched in, just enough to tell which parts were which colors. As she was scribbling in the black on its wings, the bird spread its wings and flew high over the trees, disappearing from sight.

Jack glanced at the book with the rough drawing of the bird, then at the girl still staring into the sky where the tiny creature has vanished. "Okay, can I ask what that was all about?"

She glanced back at the drawing on the page. "When my father would teach me how to draw, he had me draw the birds in my backyard. Once, we found a baby Pompadour, and he actually got a sketchbook and drew it, too." she explained. "I guess it's just special to me."

"Oh." was the only response he had, giving the drawing another, more thoughtful, look.

She stood, flipping the book closed. "Have you seen Tooth lately?"

"Um, no?" he replied, more a question than answer. "Why?"

She shrugged. "It's nothing, I just haven't been seeing very many of the little Tooth Fairies around, lately. Actually, I haven't seen them at all in a month or so."

"Hm, I hadn't really noticed."

"I suppose it's nothing, though, now that I think about it, I haven't seen Sandy in a while, either." she mused.

"Well, why don't we drop by the Tooth Palace. I'm sure she won't mind, and I bet Baby Tooth'll be glad to see us." he suggested, standing.

"Good idea. It'll be nice to see them again after so long." she agreed.

"Race you!"

(*)

A low thud echoed through the palace of multicolored marble, the stone of unimaginably bright jewel tones shining brightly in the light. Willow's landing was less than graceful, though understandable despite its rarity. She immediately collapsed to the floor in an exhausted heap.

"Okay, next time, we start the race once the palace is in sight." she said between pants, relishing the cool sensation of the marble beneath her.

"Fair enough." Jack chuckled, not the least out of breath.

"Damn straight! The wind does all the work for you! I'm stuck with a marathon sprint, _on my back!_" she exclaimed, standing. Jack, however, was only half paying attention. "Jack?"

"Look."

Willow followed his gaze, and saw gold filigree, bejeweled columns and insanely detailed architecture.

But that was it. No little Tooth Fairies and no chipper Guardian.

"Hello?" she called, her voice bouncing through the empty air.

"I guess nobody's home." Jack commented, looking around the empty palace as well.

"That's weird." Willow said, running her fingers over the flamboyant embellishments of a nearby column.

"Why don't we go to the Pole and see if she's there. If not, we can always ask North." Jack suggested.

"Are you sure you don't want to poke around for a minute? It's really strange that this place would be this empty." she asked.

"If Tooth was here, she'd now we were looking for her by now. C'mon!" he urged.

"What's the rush, I'm sure the Shop isn't going anywhere anytime soon." she questioned, giving the Winter Spirit a peculiar look.

Jack fidgeted his fingers on his staff. "Um, nothing, it's just kind of boring talking to nothing."

She raised an eyebrow questioningly, but didn't ask any more questions as she followed him into the sky, but she knew something was amiss.

After the last months of practice, she was able to fly herself to the Pole without assistance, though it did leave her a bit weary afterwards.

The trip north was almost completely silent, and on Willow's side, that was not unusual. But for Jack to be so quiet immediately told Willow that, not only was there something going on, but he was in on it.

But she remained silent.

The sun moved very little as they got closer and closer to the so-called top of the world, and the light chill of the air soon sent in. The rushing navy sheet of the water began to flash by with sprinkled bits of drifting ice, and soon disappeared completely under the downy expanse of snow. A warm dot in the distance grew into the jovial lights of the Workshop, and it certainly didn't escape her notice that all the red lights had been shut off, leaving only the bright green ones.

"Jack." She slowed to a stop.

He glanced back, before stopping as well. "Yeah?"

"What's going on?"

"What makes you think anything's going on?" he asked, fighting to hold back the smirk that tugged at his lips.

"Jack, I'm not stupid. Something's up." she said, crossing her arms.

"Well, then I guess you'll just have to trust me, now won't you?" He offered his hand. "Do you trust me?"

She sighed at his question, but pushed her stubborn protests aside and wrapped her warm fingers around his cold ones.

"I trust you."

**Please drop a review, I would love to hear feedback! The more I get, the faster I update!**


	2. Surprise, Surprise

**Hey guys! I meant to post last week, but some stuff came up with this college survey thing and it ended up taking up more of my time than I expected it to. It's also a little on the shorter side for me(Oh, it's only like four thousand words! How could you drop the ball like that, Lumi?!), but I have a feeling there won't be many complaints once y'all read it, because I made sure it was interesting.**

**I also have an interview for said college thingy this weekend, so I will **_**try**_** for next Friday to update, but I can't make any guarantees. Actually, I'm trying to give myself an update schedule of Friday-Saturday to make sure I stay on track, but we'll see how well that pans out.**

**On to reviews!**

**MoonGirl1155- Haha, I'm glad you love it, and I decided they deserved some nice fluff to start this sucker off with. Who knows when they'll get it again, because I can change my mind in a second, and decide to change everything. Oh, and I would like to know how you were able to guess that, because you were pretty much spot on, and THAT'S NOT FAIR. I feel like you guess what's going on before **_**I**_** even know.**

**sassysaw- Yay, thank you, and I bet you like this one even better, because **_**things actually happen**_**!**

**KikaKatTIOI- YES, I'M BACK. And yes, a bo staff, it seemed to e the weapon that fit her best, since I set up her character to be better with defense than offense(and there miiight be some Donnie refs in there, it's just going to take me a while to get to them). And that phone was just wishful thinking, because, at the time I was whining because mine was about to die, and I had a random thought over how nuclear batteries can last years at a time without needing charge, but I tacked on solar recharging to make it seem more fantastical and surreal(since North can apparently make ice change like a Transformer, then fly, this shouldn't be too hard). AND YES, DICK GRAYSON, THE BEST SUPERHERO THAT EVER LIVED, ALONG WITH ARTEMIS.(Also, what Aladdin quote? If it was there, I didn't do it on purpose)**

**WhovianNightFury1- Thank you, though I promise I didn't start like this, it just takes practice. But don't worry, I have no intention of abandoning this story, I love my characters far too much!(I assume you've read Cold Insanity) I'm just getting started!**

The heavy cedar doors creaked open, and the shrill chime of the mounted sleigh bells rang out.

"After you." Jack smirked, holding open the door.

Willow gave him a curious look, but said nothing as she stepped inside.

Warmth greeted her as soon as she stepped through the doorway, chasing away the light chill of the near blizzard outside. The ever-present smell of the spice of gingerbread danced in the air, peppermint and cinnamon mixed into the jovial perfume.

Her footfalls made no sound as she walked through the arcing hallways, Jack close behind. Only the fireplace in the Hearth Room had any sort of fire lit, the only other light coming from the soft glow of the green Christmas lights.

"Right." he said softly when she came to a split hallway, reaching forward and taking her hand. This hallways was quite short, and she couldn't recall having ever seen it before. The door at the end was rather plain compared to the other ornate decorations within the Shop, merely embellished with gold painted trim, the large brass knob shining brightly.

Willow glanced at Jack, but his clear blue eyes betrayed nothing. She reached forward and twisted the knob, the door swinging open effortlessly.

(*)

For a long moment, she merely stared forward blankly, not quite comprehending what was happening.

All of the Guardians' eyes were on her, as well as several other pairs she didn't recognize.

"What's going on?" she finally managed, her skin heating up at being put on the spot.

"Oh, did you really think we would forget your birthday, sweetie?!" Tooth exclaimed, flitting around excitedly. What looked to be a vast majority of the little Tooth Fairies, were hovering around the room as well, the low, constant hum of their wings and little chirping voices creating soft background noise. So many, in fact, Willow wondered who was collecting the teeth.

"Ah, of course not!" North's booming voice said, his accent rolling the r's. "We spend many days making big surprise party for you! Cue music!"

All of a sudden, a loud orchestra started playing 'Happy Birthday' at North's command, the melody exaggerated and almost overly complex in the midst on everyone's disjointed voices singing.

Jack's arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close and grinning down at her, singing as well. She hadn't ever heard him sing before, and was a bit surprised at how melodic his tenor was. It could use some work, in her opinion, but she found it rather pleasant.

"Seriously? You guys didn't have to make such a big deal over this, it's not as if I'm aging anymore." she said, and Jack couldn't help but notice a shift in her tone, but couldn't quite pinpoint what is was.

"Oh no, this gave us the perfect excuse to celebrate!" Tooth exclaimed. "It's just been to tense lately, everybody just needed a break."

Willow couldn't really argue with that, though she was none too pleased that she would be the center of attention.

"C'mon," Jack urged. "I'm sure there's plenty of people who want to meet you."

"Meet me? They _know_ me?" she asked, clearly surprised.

"Lass, word tends to get around when a Guardian finds his mate." Bunny said, coming up to them. "Pretty much everyone here knows who you are." His bright green eyes glanced around. "Uh, though, most of them don't know that you're not a Spirit. Man in the Moon told North to keep the Creatures under wraps."

"Really? Why?" Willow asked.

The rabbit shrugged. "He didn't say, but it must be for a good reason. Thought you should know, so play along if they call you a Spirit."

Willow nodded, but didn't get to say much else before a scratchy hand gripped her shoulder. Bunny glanced behind her in distaste and stepped back into the crowd.

"Hello, dear girl, it's lovely to meet you!" a ridiculously deep, husky voice rumbled.

Willow turned to see a rather large mass of course, brown fur behind her. "Hello? Might I ask who you are?" she questioned with a wary glance. It did not escape her notice how Jack's hand at her waist seemed to grow rigid.

"Oh, silly me, where are my manners?! I am the Groundhog." the burly Spirit said, removing his hand from her shoulder and reaching down to shake her hand.

"Er, nice to meet you?" she said. Her lack of socializing when she was in school was not doing her any favors at the moment. She had talked to exactly one person, and was already overwhelmed by the amount of people present.

"Oh yes, it's lovely to meet a new Spirit! And another human, too! I see you have wings, as well! What did you do as a human? Did you study insects? Did they have wings like that? Can you fly?" The questions came one after another, and Willow wasn't sure how to even answer half of them.

"Uhm, no, I didn't study insects, I didn't really do all that much." she answered, acutely aware of how feeble her answer sounded.

"Oh, so this was all on Manny! You tricky devil you!" The Groundhog laughed at the ceiling as though they were sharing a private joke. "It's not the first time, Toothiana's feathers seemed out of the blue, too! But he know what he's doing!"

Finally, Jack spoke up. "Sorry, Groundhog, but I think there's other people who'd like to talk. See you around!" he guided them away.

"Well, he's certainly… ardent." Willow commented, not sure she understood half of the things that came from his mouth during the brief conversation.

"Yeah, just a little. Bunny can't stand him." Jack chuckled. The Groundhog couldn't shut up to save his own life, grating the nerves of the Pooka in no time at all.

"I really don't blame him, I would trade anything to be deaf if I was trapped with him." Willow said, and Jack laughed.

"Most would. Let's see if we can find someone a little less energetic."

They edged around the crowd for a few minutes, before Jack spotted Sandy. The little man grinned at them and drifted over, a cluster of candles taking shape on sand.

Willow smiled, having learned how to somewhat communicate with the stout Guardian. "Thanks, Sandy."

"Hey Sandy, you seen Lucky around? I bet Lady's with her." Jack asked. Sandy pointed toward a table covered in more cookies than a bakery, as well as several large bowls of, what looked like, eggnog. "Thanks!"

"Who are Lady and Lucky?" Willow asked as Jack led her through the crowd.

"Lady Luck and the Leprechaun. They're actually fraternal twins, so their power is split between the two of them, but they look and act completely different." he explained.

"Jack!" called a high pitched female voice. A short woman with a flaming mess of curly hair, fair freckled skin and very light green eyes pushed her way towards them. Not far behind was a taller woman with long, straight brown hair, her skin a deep tan. The only thing that matched was her eyes.

"Hey, Lucky." Jack greeted the ginger. "Haven't seen you in a while. Longer since I've seen you, Lady."

"Yeah, it's been a good four or five years." The brunette agreed. Both sisters shifted their attention to Willow.

"So_ you're_ Jack's girlfriend?" Lucky giggled, bringing a blush to Willow's face. "He sure did find a pretty one."

Willow didn't answer, only dipping her head to hide the fluorescent red that had lit up her face.

Not that it worked. "What happened here?" Lady asked, reaching forward and running her finger along the thin scar of her cheek.

Willow's hand unconsciously moved to cover the scar, her blush fading. "Nothing. It was just an accident."

It was very clear neither sister believed her, but they got the hint she didn't want to talk about it.

"So, I hear you turn eighteen today." Lucky said, trying to get rid of the tension. Willow nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so. Not sure it means much anymore, but it's really sweet everyone came to celebrate." she answered.

"You're not really one for all these big parties, are you?" Lady said, not really asking. Willow simply shook her head.

"Then I guess you two'll get along really well." Lucky said, smiling at them. "Lady's really quiet and usually keeps to herself, and sometimes it's like she's not there." she giggled

"Right, because Lucky here usually can't keep quiet to save her own immortal life, and is always the center of attention." Lady said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey!" the shorter twin protested.

"Are you going to tell me I'm wrong?"

"No… give me a minute to think of something good!"

Willow suppressed an amused grin at the pair's banter, finding their interaction rather interesting. Almost exact opposites, even in appearances, but they seemed to get along so well. Luck stood about as high as Willow's eyes, and Willow knew she was on the shorter side at five foot seven. Lady, however, stood almost as tall as Jack, who was a good half a head taller than she was. One with pale, freckled skin, the other with smooth olive, and their hair seemed to be the dictionary definition of opposite. There was truly no way of knowing they were related, aside from their green eyes.

"What's this?" Willow asked suddenly, noticing something on Lucky's right forearm.

Her eyes lit up at the question, and she turned her arm so the mark could be fully seen. "It's a bond mark."

Lady rolled up the right sleeve of her indigo shirt, revealing a matching mark. "It means sisterhood. I also think it means we'll never find mates, like you two, because we have one another." she explained as she laid her arm against Lucky's, lining up the odd straight edges of either's mark. The opaque green brand now revealed itself to be a Celtic triad with an intertwined heart.

"That's really neat. A reminder that, no matter what, you'll always have one another." Willow smiled.

"Do you guys have one?" Lucky asked, dropping her arm. Lady tugged her sleeve back down.

"No. Are we supposed to?" Willow replied, a bit confused. Jack didn't seem to know, either.

Lucky shrugged. "Not necessarily. Once you both perform an act that you're a true mated pair, you'll get one. It was kind of weird when Sam and Rip got theirs. It literally just… appeared. I mean, I was just _there._ It was different with us, we both had it when we were changed."

"Sam and Rip? Sorry, I haven't really met, er, _anyone_ outside of the Guardians." Willow said, shrugging helplessly.

"Oh, sorry, Sam is Samhain and Rip is the Headless Horseman. Neither of them are very easy to talk to, but one in the same, I guess." Lucky answered. "Spirits don't bond very often, but once they do, it isn't something that ever goes away."

Lady began to say something, but before she could, she pitched forward and a wooden tray tumbled over her shoulder, taking the two glasses to top with it.

Though, the surprising part was when she caught the tray in one hand, and the two glasses in the other, only a few drop of the water within them reaching the floor.

"Oh, sorry Lady!" said the unwitting assailant. A man even shorter than Lucky stepped out from behind her.

"No harm done, Rumple." she said, though there was a clear underlying tone of agitation. She handed him the tray and set the rescued glasses of water back on the wood. The little man hurried away.

"Rumplstilskin?" Willow asked.

"Yeah. Rumple's one of the little troublemakers, especially as the Spirit of Mischief." Lucky said, rolling her eyes. "He's clumsy as hell, but no one knows if he's really that clumsy, or if it's an act."

"Well, at least you caught the tray and glasses. That was pretty lucky…" Willow trailed off, realizing what she was saying.

The sisters laughed. "Luck is sort of what we do." Lucky said.

Willow laughed with them, finding herself surprisingly at ease with the twins. Jack was being uncharacteristically quiet, and she knew he was just trying to let her have her fun on her birthday.

"Sooo, what do _you_ do?" Lucky asked. "You've got to be the Spirit of _something_."

"Oh. Um I'm pretty sure it's Earth." she said, her answer hesitant.

"No no, now your powers, your center." Lady said. "We can manipulate gold, but we're Spirits of Luck."

"…I don't know." Willow admitted. The sisters exchanged knowing glances.

"Don't worry, you'll figure it out. Jack only figured it out a little less than ten years ago." Lucky said reassuringly. "Ours was really obvious, but there's plenty of Spirits who take years to figure it out."

"Well, I guess we can give you a chance to meet some other people." Lady said. "It was nice to meet you."

Willow shook her extended hand. "It was great to meet you, too."

Lucky opted to throw her arms around Willow's neck, standing on the tips of her toes, then said her farewells. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

She turned to Lady, who withdrew something from her pocket and passed it to Lucky. She held the concealed object out to Willow. Willow's hand went out automatically, and the short woman dropped the object into it.

Willow brought her hand close to examine the gold bracelet. Dozens of tiny charms were linked to the smooth chain, taking the shapes of four-leafed clovers, horseshoes, and a couple other traditional good luck charms.

"What's this for?" she asked, running her fingers over the tiny charms.

"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Lucky said, smiling. She picked up the bracelet and clasped it around Willow's wrist.

The golden links were a bit too big, and Lucky wrapped her hands around it, closing her eyes. When she pulled her hands away, it was a perfect fit.

"There you go! Your own little good luck charm." Lucky grinned.

"It's infused with a bit of our luck magic." Lady added, smiling as well.

"So it really is lucky!" Lucky finished, giggling again.

"That's really nice, thank you." Willow said gratefully. The twins nodded and receded back into the crowd, Lucky having spotted someone else and dragged her sister off.

"Well they were nice." she said, watching them go.

"Yeah, they're really not that bad. Lucky can be a little exhausting sometimes, but they both are really great." Jack agreed.

Most of the night went like that, other various Spirits approaching them, many with their own legends attatched. It was almost overwhelming for Willow to see so many storybook fables and legends just walk up to her for a 'chat'. So many of them had such a surprising variety of personalities, and it didn't take her long to lose track of the different stories she had met. Pan, the Spirit of Freedom, controlled the wildlife populations to an extent. He gave Willow a small wooden hair clip with live flowers attatched to it, somehow self-sustaining and wouldn't ever wilt.

The biggest surprise, however, was when she met Cupid. If she was honest with herself, she had expected Jack to keep her away from him, should he turn out to be real. Well, he was certainly real, but it was actually Jack who brought _her_ to the man.

"Cupid!" Jack called to a tall man with short, honey blond hair. He turned, and Willow saw his eyes were a startling shade of ruby, but in a pleasant way.

"Jack, how are you?" he asked, walking close, a warm, friendly smile stretched across his face. As expected, he was quite handsome, and he walked with a smooth, graceful stride. "I see you've found yourself a lovely lady friend." He gave her a polite nod.

"I've been doing pretty well." Jack said with a grin. "This is Willow."

"A pleasure to meet you." Cupid said, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you, as well." she said shyly, though her eyes gave his hand a curt glance. It did not escape his notice, and he withdrew it, though the smile remained.

"So, word is you're quite the fierce little thing, my dear." the blond said casually, his eyes on her.

Willow shrugged. "I suppose. I'm not really sure what all everyone has heard about me."

"Well, the story goes that you put up quite a fight against that psychotic Spirit woman. It's strange, though, I hadn't ever heard of her until now." Cupid tilted his head curiously.

"Yeah, she was a sly one." Jack said quickly. "So, how's everything with you?"

Cupid raised an eyebrow as the fast subject change, but didn't press the issue. "It's been a little scattered, with as messy as love has been getting. A lot of my power reflects on the mortals, and sometimes, what they _think_ they feel isn't really there at all. It doesn't take long to become a hassle."

"I'm not surprised. I really don't envy your job." Jack said ruefully.

"Most don't, though it certainly has its perks." he said, a sultry undertone not lost to neither Jack nor Willow. "But anyways, it was lovely to meet you, though I should really let you get back to meeting the others." He pulled a small silver box from his pocket, adorned with a green silk ribbon. "Happy Birthday, my dear."

"What was that all about?" Willow asked, watching him walk away.

"You heard it?" Jack asked. Willow nodded.

"Yeah, and to be honest, I was half expecting to be hit on, seeing as how he's a love deity." she said. "But he was really very polite. Pleasant, actually."

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, that's because he doesn't really… swing that way." he said hesitantly.

Willow blinked. "Ohh, so he's…" she trailed off, realization dawning.

"Yeah. I figured it out, too, though not because he told me." Jack said, and Willow had a feeling his face would be enflamed if he wasn't a living ice carving.

"So, he was hitting on _you_?" she asked, clearly amused.

"No, no, not right now! The great thing about Cupid is that he respects existing relationships, doesn't really interfere. But around a hundred years after I turned, I sort of ran into him. Literally, I didn't realize he was a Spirit until I hit him. He was really great to be around at first, until I realize his friendliness wasn't… um…" he stuttered a bit, and Willow laughed.

"Platonic?" she suggested, and Jack nodded.

"After that, meeting up was always pretty sketchy. I know he wouldn't do anything I wasn't okay with, but it was always awkward, just _knowing_." Jack explained.

"Yeah, I get it." Willow said, sensing Jack would really rather drop the subject. He gave her a grateful look.

The Spirits began to disperse a few hours later, most of them having sought Willow out before they departed. A fair number of them had gifts for her, but she wasn't sure what she'd do with most of them or if she would use them. She did receive a few useful ones, like the decoy bubble from Rumplstilskin. It was an orb of hollow quartz, and if she stepped on it, an exact double of her would take her place and cause a distraction. It lasted about twenty minutes, but only worked once.

She also received a charm from Lark, Spirit of Trickery. It was a simple, opaque blue oval that looked like transparent lapis, and it could change the sound of her voice. Though, she was told to use it in reserve, as it withdrew energy from Willow's body to power itself. Willow thanked her and slid the smooth stone into her pocket.

"So, you guys aren't planning on doing this every year, are you?" Willow asked, once everyone had left. "I mean, this was really nice of you all, and I appreciate it, but it was… a little much."

"Oh no, it's taken us weeks to get this one together. With Easter in a month, I don't think I can afford to do this every year." Bunny said.

"Everyone just needs a reason to lighten up every few decades." Tooth said, hugging her.

"Really? How come _I_ never heard of any of these wild parties?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Guardians all found the elaborate weaving of the carpet rather fascinating at that moment.

"Well, we kinda had you pegged as a loner. You spent most of your time alone, so we kind of just assumed…" Bunny trailed off.

"Mhm. I mean, it's really not a big deal anymore, but I had no idea they even happened." Jack shrugged. Most of the Spirits kept to themselves, rarely making themselves known.

"But now, everyone has gone." said North, a strange smile on his face, blue eyes sparkling.

"Yes…? Where's Sandy?" Willow asked, not sure what the robust man was getting at.

No one answered, though, and a few seconds later, Sandy appeared behind North, a small cupcake with green icing and a single lit candle in his hands.

"I know you've heard this all night, but Happy Birthday!" said Tooth. Willow smiled bashfully and accepted the cupcake from Sandy, blowing out the candle.

"You really didn't have to do this." she said, glancing around at the five of them.

"We didn't, but we wanted to. You had a rough start to all this, and you still push yourself. You deserve it." Jack said, slinging an arm around her waist once again. He leaned his staff against the table, and quickly flicked off a swipe of icing with his finger, popping it into his mouth.

"Though, she's living her new life on the wrong side of the line." a soft voice said. All six pairs of eyes turned to its source.

"Seraphina. I was not expecting you." North said, taking on a formal tone.

"I apologize for my unannounced arrival, but I felt I should greet our newest immortal." she said, giving Willow a small smile. Willow noticed she did not refer to her as a Spirit. "Hello, my dear, I am Seraphina. You may be more familiar with Mother Nature."

Willow shook her offered hand. "Oh! I am Willow. Willow Bronwyn, though I suppose you knew that."

Mother Nature gave a small laugh. "Yes, I did." She glanced around to the others. "I am also aware that you are not a Spirit, which is why I am here."

The Guardians exchanged strange looks while Willow's eyes remained on Mother Nature in confusion. "You know about the Creatures?"

"Yes, I've been much more aware of them than most realize. " she admitted. "I am, shall we say, a messenger."

"So there _are_ others?"

"Yes, quite a few." she answered. "But you being here is upsetting a precarious balance. The Creatures and the Spirits are meant to stay separated." She gave the others in the room a somber look. "And I am sorry to say, I intend to keep it that way."

**I also need to point out, I will be including **_**some**_** book cannon in this one, but since I have not read all the books, it is a great possibility I may change some things(like, for instance, Nightlight is still a Spirit, though I don't know if I'll include him). So, if some things are different, I promise it all has a purpose in the end.**

**Don't forget to drop a review, I love to hear your ideas and feedback!**


	3. The Aftermath Is Secondary

**I'm even going to pretend I have an update schedule anymore, but I just got out of an art block and I have been drawing nonstop. Hopefully now that it's summer I can have chapters at some kind of regular interval, we'll just have to see.**

**WAIT, I JUST REALIZED THESE CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN CONTOLLING MY LIFE FOR ALMOST A YEAR. WHAAA…?**

**This chapter is a liiitle on the rushed side, because there's things I needed to happen to set things in motion. I'm trying not to wait so long to get to the point of the plot, and because I ended up with such a complex plot(seriously, half a spiral of outlining things), I don't want to draw out the introduction quite as much as before. A lot of the intro before was character building, and since(I hope) you know my character by now, I don't need to do all that.**

**I'm also updating Seeing Isn't Always Believing with this one, and I recommend reading it at some point, also(well, it's at two chapters right now), but it is actually going to be important to the plot of this story. It shouldn't be **_**too**_** long, but it is a tie-in with this story, and it won't be long before it becomes obvious why. If you don't read it, I don't think you'll be completely lost, but things will make a lot more sense later on in this if you do.**

**Now for reviews(also, what happened to all of my old readers? I miss you all!)!**

**(Guest)- Thank you! Don't worry, you will have plenty more!**

**KikaKatTIOI- Yeah, I usually(read always) review from my phone, and my phone is a piece of crap, so it's always a hassle to login on it. And thanks on Cupid, I figured as a love deity, he wouldn't only look at females that way, so I did make him bisexual, though I **_**did**_** imply he tended more toward men, which will have a purpose later on. I also wanted to do something a little more original with some of the other Spirits, and I was trying to decide between Lady Luck and the Leprechaun for the main Luck myth, and thought "why not both?". Thus, fraternal twins were born.**

**C'mon guys, reviews actually do make me update faster, because I know people are reading this. I just need to know there's people interested!**

"I'm sorry, but _what?_" Jack asked, not-so-subtly stepping in front of Willow defensively. "Seraphina, we all respect the hell out of you, we'd be stupid not to, but this is too far."

Willow teeth dug harshly her lip, a bit surprised to hear him curse, though it was understandable given the situation.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but I have an agreement to uphold. The Spirits and the Creatures are to remain separated. Terra cannot remain here." the woman said softly, though there was an unmistakable edge of steel.

"Now hold on just a minute. Why do you have to take her away?" Bunny asked, stepping between Seraphina and Jack. "To make sure no one finds out about the Creatures, right? That's not a problem, it's not like we're gonna tell anybody."

She shook her head. "Aster, you and I both know it isn't that simple." Her eerie golden eyes turned back to Jack. "Word has spread about Hysterium, and it's quickly becoming apparent no one has ever heard of her. I can remove all memory of her from the Spirits, but there cannot be anything to trigger reminiscent memories. That includes her."

"No." Jack said simply.

"Jack…" Tooth said quietly. Only a fool would defy Mother Nature, but none of them wanted to see Willow taken away, either. If it really came down to it, everyone knew, deep down, they would fight to their last breath to protect one of their own.

"You would be wise to listen, Jackson." she said, a warning undertone creeping into her voice.

"You can't take her! After everything she has gone through, the least you can do is leave her be!" he said loudly, his voice still rising in volume.

"Nikolas, I suggest you leash your Guardian, or I will." Her anger was now clear, though her voice remained as soft as ever.

"Seraphina, surely we cannot work something out." he began, but it was waved away.

"I cannot do that. The agreement was they remain apart. No exceptions." Her eyes softened to the young Guardian. "If it is of any comfort, I can remove her from your memories, as well. It will not be painful."

"And then what? All that pain _she_ went through? All for nothing? If you remove me from her memories, too, then what will Hysterium do? I was as much a part of that as she was, and that could make her even more of a target." Jack hissed, tendons standing out of his hand from the rough grip of his staff.

"Her memories would remain intact, I do not have that kind of power over Creatures." she told him, deliberately not addressing the actual point of his rant.

"No, instead she would hurt as much as I would, except I would be forced to forget her, which is even worse for her." He shook his head. "No, I won't do that to her. It should be her choice, no yours, or whoever you answer to."

"It is not your decision, nor hers, nor mine. I promise you, I do not want to or enjoy having to do this, but I have a duty just as you all do. Nature is balance, and this is me keeping the balance." she explained, trying to get help to understand.

"No." he said again, reaching back to grab hold of Willow. His turned around when he was met with empty air.

Willow was gone.

(*)

The oracle's fingers trailed lightly over the milky white sphere. A low hum seemed to course over the smooth stone in response to her gossamer touch.

"Has she been retrieved yet?" asked a low, male voice behind her.

She turned to him, though didn't look him in the eye. "No. It would seem the… Guardian, is more defensive than we anticipated, and the others would not back down should it lead to a fight. Terra has vanished."

He gave something between a sigh and a growl, flicking a hand through his tawny hair, its ends brushing his cheekbones. It proceeded to fall exactly where it had been before. "Aeon will not be pleased if she is not delivered here soon, but Seraphina cannot use force. Is there any way to make her come willingly?"

She shook her head. "Not that I can foresee. As long as her and the Guardian's love remains, she will not leave them of her own choice."

A foggy image of a boy with stark white hair appeared in the orb, a slender girl seated next to him in an empty room.

"Then we may have to take one of the elements out of the equation." he said, studying the hazy depiction.

The oracle gave him a surprised look. "You know as much as I do that we can't directly harm any of the Spirits, either. Only Seraphina can alter their memories, and she can't do that until Terra has been brought here. How will you 'take one of the elements out of the equation'?"

"Seraphina will want to employ the assistance of a Banished." he mused. "But any ties to the Creatures break once a Creature is banished, which makes this too risky. It would be so simple to double cross and act upon their own motives."

"Which will put us exactly where we were before." she hesitated a moment, before speaking again. "If you would be willing to consider it, I do know another way."

He sighed, and looked down at her. "You know I cannot do that." he said softly. "You have seen what could happen if the removal is undone. And, should it even work, you are unable to defend yourself against that capacity of power."

"I am not defenseless." she said firmly. "I have been trained as any other Creature has."

"I did not say you were defenseless, I said you could not defend against this. You hold very little disadvantage over the others, because you have advantages they do not, but you would have no assistance, and anyone would be overwhelmed." he explained gently. In truth, he had grown something of a soft spot for the oracle. She had a difficult life as a human, but not as one may think. He found her to be a very enigmatic, feisty person, and would not tolerate being doted because of her impediment.

She gave a frustrated sigh and stood, the image in the sphere melting away. She began to pace the room, her hand reaching out to touch the textures of the prophecies carved on the walls. The cloth wrapped across one of her shoulders hung down to her waist at the other side, and the thin fringe brushed lightly against her fingers.

"There is little I can do, then, except watch and see how it will play out. I will keep you informed of you need me to, but I doubt any of it will matter yet. There are too many things that can cause it to change, and the likelihood of any of it being accurate is very small." she finally said, her hands stopping at the small lines of text.

"Regardless, I would like to be aware of the change of outcomes. Any possible outcome needs to be prepared for." he replied. Lifting his eyes from the pulsating orb, he walked to her in three long strides, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you can defend yourself, I would not doubt your ability to do so. But this is bigger than any one person, and I refuse to send anyone to their deaths." He told her. After a moment, she nodded.

"I understand. It was stupid to offer, but we are getting desperate." she said.

"Indeed we are. But I would risk the life of a Banished before I did a true Creature." he told her.

She nodded once more. "I will make certain you are notified of any changes."

Taking her hint, he briefly thanked her and left the small chamber.

The oracle reclaimed her place at the low table, placing her hands back on either side of the sphere. Something told her that that the entire situation was going to get far more messy before they got easy.

(*)

The icy winds buffeted Willow's hair but she paid them little mind from her perch in a tall pine, the thin boughs swaying. The cold was rarely a bother to her anymore, even in the most harsh conditions.

She had fled the Shop like a coward, and she knew it, but it was either that, or have a meltdown in front of everyone. She chose the former.

She didn't go far, though, not yet. She had stopped as soon as she was back over land, landing in the top of a high tree somewhere in the northern corners of Canada. The snow was still heavy and the chill lingered year-round, but it didn't matter. She simply stayed in the tall branches and let the wind low though her hair, wrapping the long strands in more and more tangles. But that didn't really matter, either.

"Do I really not get a break from the shit storm?" she whispered aloud. "Was my old life not hard enough? Did I offend someone by being happy?"

Only more questions without answers, and the north Canadian winds didn't offer her much closure, either.

She sighed, her breath curling away from her mouth in lazy vines. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, but straitened a moment later when something in her pocket poked her in the hip. She pulled the object from her pocket, the green bow holding the lid on the small silver box Cupid had given her, still unopened.

A bitter smile pulled at her lips as she fidgeted with the silk ribbon. It had been given to her, what, a few hours ago? So much had changed in such a short time, that the party seemed so silly and distant now. Most of the various gifts had been left at the North Pole, save for the decoy bubble from Rumplestilskin, the voice stone from Lark, the clip in her hair from Pan, and the luck bracelet.

And the box in her hands.

Finally, she pulled the end of the green ribbon, which fell neatly into her hands. She carefully lifted the lid, tucking it beneath the bottom of the box, and revealed two small heart-shaped charms with gold rings attatched to them so they could be fastened to something.

"Hm, I wonder what these are." she murmured, picking up the folded slip of paper that lay beneath them.

_If your love is true, you will never be apart._

"Well that's awfully cryptic." Willow picked up one of the charms, seeing a tiny gold catch attatched to the ring. She clipped it to and empty link in her bracelet, tucking the other back into her pocket.

Her thoughts soon drifted elsewhere as she gazed back out at the ocean's icy blue abyss, but it wasn't long before she had taken back to the skies, another destination in mind.

She craved to be somewhere familiar, somewhere comforting. A place that had happy and sad memories alike, and a place she could let herself sit and get lost in thought.

She was homesick.

(*)

Ten minutes after Seraphina's departure, Jack was still staring at the spot she had been standing, His blue eyes burning a hole in the elaborate rug, fist wrapped impossibly tight around his staff. The other Guardians had attempted to gain his attention, but no one had been successful thus far.

"What are we going to do?" Tooth finally asked quietly, realizing there would be little chance of getting through to Jack for a while.

"I don't know. I haven't ever seen 'em like his." Bunny said, glancing at the still Winter Spirit. He hadn't moved in a long time now, and even he was beginning to worry. He would never admit it, but he had grown something of a soft spot for their youngest.

"Oh, it's just awful to see him so upset." Tooth also gave Jack's stoic expression a long look. "I really don't think he's going to let her go. He'll fight it, and I'm afraid he's going to get himself hurt."

"I know, I've been thinking the same thing. But what do ya think he'll do?" The rabbit asked. "That girl… he's not just gonna quit on her."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." Tooth said, fidgeting.

"They can't take her."

Both Guardians turned to Jack at the sound of his quiet voice.

"What are you going to do?" Tooth asked again, this time talking directly to him.

"I don't know. But I will fight them until I can't before they take her away." he responded flatly. A moment later, he took off out the window, it only having been noticed was open after Willow's disappearance. Thick flurries of snow began sheeting into the room, but they paid little mind to the increase in the snow. After all, what could be done about it?

They made no attempt whatsoever to stop him, merely watching him go.

"This is going to end badly, isn't it?" Tooth asked.

Bunny's silence was answer enough.

(*)

Snow fell on the entire Northern Hemisphere, the thick flakes sparing no mercy as Jack shot though the sky. Where he was going, he wasn't sure, he just knew he needed to calm down before half the world was thrown into an Ice Age.

The icy waters of the North Pacific rushed beneath him, the snow dissolving the moment it touched the lapping waves.

Jack's teeth cut into this lip for what much have been the fifth time in the past ten minutes, the flesh inside raw and ragged with a faint coppery aftertaste.

Before long, he found himself very close to Burgess, which didn't really surprise him. His opinion, it was his true home. It was Willow's, as well, and if he was lucky, he might find her there, too.

His first stop was the pond, and he didn't really think he would find her there, but there was something… cleansing about it. He didn't know what it was, and part of him really didn't want to, but he soon left once he confirmed she was not there.

Next, he flew over the park, searching the quieter corners of the snowy area, but there was only swarms of children out to enjoy the surprise snowfall. He started off towards Aly's, but on a hunch, shifted his course.

The town's old strip mall passed below, and rough brush soon followed, leading the way to a small patch of rugged trees.

_Even if I find her, what then? Where will we go? We can't go back to any of the other Guardians, we'd be too easy to find. Are we going to spend the rest of our lives running now?_

Only more questions that had no answer, but more would ensue. The shifting landscape below was barely noticed, his course steering him toward the three lumbering oaks.

Willow's old house was silent, though the bitter canopy still lingered. Not long after the body of Willow's mother had been found, the house was seized and condemned. Having lived there all her life, Willow had never known that the structure was falling apart, weakening around her from lack of repair. The old, run-down neighborhood was full of houses such as this, but a closer eye was usually kept on them.

Ultimately, though, everything was taking out of the house, and for the most part, dumped beside the street. In the middle of the night, the two of them managed to save a few of her things, and later, North offered her one of the guest rooms at the Pole, if nothing more than a place to call home.

But now, the house was as hollow and lonely as it ever was, devoid of anything that could have made it a home.

He landed carefully in the ground, the few scattered leaves from the previous fall crunching softly beneath his light stride. He approached the window to her old bedroom, the rusted frame raised a few inches.

He pushed the window open all the way, surprised that it still did not make a sound, but found the small room empty. He pushed lightly on the ajar door, and it too swung open soundlessly.

The lightly soured small of alcohol still lingered in the house, and stray bits of broken glass still resided in the corners. Torn strips of tattered yellow tape were strewn about, as well as several _DO NOT CROSS_ posters. Jack couldn't help but be a bit disgusted at how messy the authorities had been.

Rounding the corner, Jack immediately noticed the open door to the master bedroom. Upon seeing that, he hesitated for the first time.

"Jack, I know you're there."

He started a bit at the low voice, but stepped forward again, pushing open the door.

And just like that, there she was. Leaning against the wall, she sat on the floor with one leg tucked against her chest and the other half extended in front of her. She was fidgeting with something small, but her hands obscured it from his vision.

Not entirely sure what to say, or if there was anything to be said at all, he simply sat next to her, laying his staff on the floor. He could not see that the object in her hands was a red, heart-shaped stone.

"At the risk of sounding cliché, how did you know where I was?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

It was a moment before he answered. "I'm really not sure." he admitted. "It was only a hunch."

She didn't answer, only continued to fiddle with the tiny stone. After a while, she grabbed his arm. Without explaining what she was doing, she pushed up his sleeve to expose the stone bracelet beneath. With her other hand, she held the heart stone against the bracelet, and her eyes briefly shone green. When she pulled her hands away, the red heart was embedded into the stone of the bracelet.

"What it this?" Jack asked, lifting the stone band closer to his face to study the new addition.

"It's from Cupid, though I'm not exactly sure what it is, or what it does." she answered, pushing back her own sleeve. "There were two."

Jack lightly touched the charm dangling from the gold band, remembering what Lucky had said about it being infused with their luck magic.

"I guess this is just beyond luck, huh?" she asked softly, reading his thoughts, toying with the charms as well.

He remained silent, but it wouldn't have mattered what he said, because it would change nothing.

He reached over to take her hand, but just before he grabbed hold, she dropped in back into her lap. She recoiled a bit, wrapping both her arms tightly around her waist.

Reluctantly, Jack brought his hand back to his own lap. Her eyes remained on the floor, and he could almost reach out and touch the wall slowly descending around her.

Having the weight of her former life lifted from her shoulders, the disconsolate aspect of her had all but dissolved. Happiness had set in, and revealed the spirited person tucked away beneath.

But now that the happiness was fading, the oppressive coat began to return, and he was afraid she would become the same closed off, distant person she was when he first met her.

And if that person came back, he would lose her.

(*)

The glass-like reflections of the onyx hall reflected the green mist on every facet. It curled together and evened out, leaving the strong figure of Mother Nature in its wake.

"Seraphina. I see your visit bore no fruit."

She turned to the tall man, whom paced at the end of the short hall. "You would be correct. The youngest Guardian refuses to let her go, and Terra has no desire to leave, either. I can do nothing from here without breaking the pact, I cannot use force."

"The pact states no force is to be used to collect any Creatures. It holds no sway over Spirits." he told her, a suggesting undertone.

She shook her head. "I am well aware of the grounds, but I hold allegiance to Tsar Lunar as much as I do you, Leader, perhaps even more, _and_ no Spirit can be directly harmed, either. After all, you refuse to even tell me your true name." she countered, crossing her arms.

Leader sighed. "Sera, we have been over this, is it not counterproductive to have a pact over anonymity, only for you to know my name? You only know the girl's name because of her companionship to the Guardian, which is inopportune enough, and Hysterium has made something of a spectacle of herself, to she is the only one to blame for that."

She shot him a short glare when he called her 'Sera', but did not comment on it. "Despite the circumstances, however, there is one way we can get her to come willingly."

He stopped short, and gave her a surprised look. "You know how dangerous it is to employ the help of a Banished. They hold no loyalty to anyone, too many things could go wrong."

"What else do you suggest? Hysterium has fled, no one will find her until she wants to be found. There are no other options." she said firmly.

"And if he should turn on us?" Leader questioned.

"I think that can be taken care of. He is still very weak, a decade is rather short. Even if he were to turn, he does not have the power to even attempt anything that cannot be handled." she answered. "However, the Guardians do not know this."

"But if his power is limited, the girl can still escape him."

"I know, and that is why my plan will not fail"

(*)

This cavern was filled with dark stone as well, but not because the rock was dark. It was due to the shadows that seemed to cling to every surface, earth, metal or person alike. And they did.

Pitch Black's ashen skin always seemed to escape the light, his arms near black with the every present darkness, the shadows extending the sleeveless robe down to his wrists.

His slender hands moved with fluid motion over the coat of his Nightmare, one of very few survivors from his last escapade. Fine trails of midnight sand peels away from the Nightmare's side, the dark grains floating to the floor.

The horse's golden eyes were turned downward, soft breath stirring the other fallen bits of sand. The long ribbons of her mane rippled in graceful spirals, curling around rocks, nearby formations, and around Pitch's hand.

"Such a magnificent creature, is she not?" Pitch asked aloud, voice low and smooth as velvet. "Strong, fierce, and beautiful. A powerful female, just as powerful as any of her male counterparts."

"But only as powerful as you are." Spoke another, female, voice.

"Indeed, she is only as strong as I am, but she does not allow that to take away from her own pride." His hand stopped its motions, returning to his side. "It sounds a bit familiar, wouldn't you say, Hysterium?"

The small woman only huffed, glaring off to the side. "Stop being so smug. If I had anywhere else to go, you can be certain I would be there."

"I am only making an observation." he told her, smirking. "You know, you don't have to be so indifferent towards me. I _am_ helping you, after all."

She rolled her icy blue eyes. "Oh please, don't say that like you don't have your own motives."

"I never said I didn't." he replied.

Hysterium leaned back against the stalagmite she was next to, but stepped away from it quickly when vines of black sand began curling around it, a small black peony blooming by her shoulder.

"Peonies do not grow in vines." she said quietly, reaching out and touching the flower. A thin wisp of blue trailed away from her hand, wrapping around the blossom. The peony dissolved, taking the rest of the vines with it.

"So they don't." Pitch replied, stepping close. He was nearly a head and a half taller than the small woman, but she seemed rather unconcerned over this, his height not intimidating her in the slightest.

"My answer has not changed." she told him, her voice still quiet. "What happened in the past must stay there."

"This isn't about the past. What happened then has nothing to do with what happens now." he answered, his nimble fingers catching a few strands of her hair. She studied his golden eyes for a moment, before gently pulling his hand away from her.

"You're right, it doesn't. But it also does not change my decision." She walked around him, but paused a moment, speaking over her shoulder. "At least, now right now."

He said nothing, merely watched her walk away until the darkness enveloped her graceful form.

**Ooohh, suspense. My favorite thing.**

**So, I want reviews telling me your theories of what the hell I'm doing, I want to see how many of you are catching on, and I may even tell you if you're right.**

**Until next time!**


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